Planning a Road Trip is essential. While it’s fun to be spontaneous it’s not always practical. Spontaneity can be excellent for a day trip, but a long road trip requires a plan. One of the best road trips I’ve ever taken was driving from Phoenix, Arizona to Indianapolis, Indiana, and driving on Route 66 as much as possible. I loved that trip and want to do it again with my kids! I love it so much I wrote about some of my favorite attractions along the way! Check out the first in the series here! But even though that trip was to get us back to Indiana we did plan it. Having a plan is essential!
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Creating a Plan
There are many ways to create a plan for a road trip. I’m a pen and paper kind of girl so I use my planners to create our plans. Digital options are just as good, and for some more convenient. Most of the time I use Happy Notes from Where do you want to go? What do you want to see? Choosing a destination is probably the hardest part of planning! If you’re like me you want to go everywhere, so picking just one place is hard. To help narrow the choices I make a list! Factors to consider when making your decision: Once you narrow those choices you should be able to decide on a location in no time. Now you know where you’re going, how are you getting there? Typically a road trip is in an automobile. So it’s time to check the maps. At this point I do use the internet, I was never good at map reading, and don’t even mention refolding the darn thing! So in your planner map out your route. Make note of toll roads, bridges, bypasses, anything that would affect your travel. Online information is usually up to date and can give you information about construction or closures too. Main highways are the fastest but don’t discount older highways and even back roads that pass through small towns. Part of the charm on a road trip is getting there. Don’t be too eager to reach your destination that you miss the charm of the road. A word of caution, know your limits. If you can only drive a few hours at a time don’t push yourself to go further. It’s not worth risking your safety to make a destination. Where are you going to stay along the way? A hotel? Camping? Glamping? there are so many options. Use a travel site to help you find your perfect accommodations along the way and when you reach your destination. I recommend joining rewards programs and earning points to use on further travel. I’ve spent some free nights in good hotels because I had reward points. What are you going to do on your road trip? Do you like to shop, go to amusement parks, see local sites, or explore nature? There are so many things to do on a road trip. I’m the type of traveler that likes to see as much as I can when I’m in an area. I will pack in as much as I can but also plan days for just resting, or hanging out. I don’t have to be on the go all the time, I just don’t want to miss anything! I do not like the B-word! LOL But I know I don’t have limitless funds, so it’s a factor I must consider when planning a road trip. Know how much you have to spend.When you create a budget add in everything you would spend money on. Include in your budget tips, souvenirs, food, hotel costs, gas prices, activity prices, and plan your budget with an extra cushion because things are going to come up. Even if the “emergency” is a new purse that you can’t live without! Food is a huge chunk of any budget, but there are ways to keep it manageable. Don’t eat out at every meal. You’ll spend so much on food and you won’t have that money for fun things. When you are booking a hotel try to choose a hotel that has a free breakfast. Most of the breakfasts are a continental style and offer enough variety to get your day started. A great way to save on food costs is to decide to eat out only one meal and bring or go to the grocery for all your other food needs. If you don’t have a refrigerator in your room ask the front desk if any are available. There may be a small fee, but that fee is a lot less than eating every meal out. You can also bring a cooler packed with quick favorites for the road and for your stay. Another great way to save is to eat locally. Chain restaurants are expensive, and you can do that when you’re home. Find where the locals eat, and you will probably find specials. Check local papers for coupons, they are still out there, ya just have to find them! Alcohol is a big part of a food budget. If you can limit your alcoholic beverages you will save money. Splurge on a local specialty drink once instead of having cocktails every dinner. I mean come on, if you’re in New Orleans you have to have a Hurricane right?! They say Pat O’Brien’s is the best! Gas prices are a huge part of a budget on a road trip. I highly recommend using apps to find the best gas prices in the area. I use the Get Upside app. It locates the best prices and then you get cash back when you use that store. Weather is unpredictable but there are a few things you can do to prevent weather from ruining your road trip. You have to know the area. If you are going to the beach in Florida know that sudden thunderstorms are common. Most of the time they pass in a few minutes, but if you know ahead of time you may have to take cover for a bit you can plan better. At the same time, going to Florida during a common rainy season isn’t the best idea unless you plan a lot of indoor time. So know your destination. The Weather Channel is a great resource for researching areas and weather patterns. Once you have your dates scheduled, and your planning completed it’s time to take your plan on the road! plans can be flexible, things happen along the way, but planning a road trip isn’t hard, but having a plan allows you more time to relax and enjoy your trip! 
Choose a Destination
Planning a Road Trip
Getting There
Accomodations
Activities
Budget
Food
Gas Prices
Weather
Take Your Plan on the Road